See Capri from Massa Lubrense

View of Capri from Massa Lubrense

Only a few kilometres outside Sorrento, travelling south along the peninsula, you will come to the unspoilt little town of Massa Lubrense.

With stunning views of Capri across the bay, Massa Lubrense is a good starting point for some wonderful scenic walks along ancient footpaths where you will see Mediterranean plants such as myrtle, juniper and yellow broom growing.

As the town is still not well known to tourists, the hotels and restaurants in Massa Lubrense tend to be less busy and less expensive than those in the centre of Sorrento.

How to get to Massa Lubrense

The local Linea A (Line A) buses operated by EAVBUS run all the way out to Massa Lubrense from Sorrento during the summer.

The Sita company, whose coaches connect Sorrento with resorts such as Positano and Amalfi further along the coast, have services that call at Massa Lubrense all the year round.

The journey from Sorrento to Massa Lubrense’s main square takes about 15 minutes.

What to see in Massa Lubrense

Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie

If you get off the bus in Largo Vescovado you will see a terrace at one end of the square from where you can look out over the sea and have a wonderful view of Capri.

There are bars, restaurants and shops on three sides of the square. Massa Lubrense’s Ufficio Informazioni (Tourist Information Office) is on the same side as the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie.
It is worth having a look inside this lovely old church, which was once the cathedral for the whole area.

Building work began on the church in 1512. Although it was refurbished in the 18th century it has retained parts of its beautiful, original 16th century majolica floor.

You can walk down to the sea along a winding road that will bring you out at the little fishing village of Marina della Lobra, where there are restaurants and bars, a stretch of beach and places where you can hire boats.

A few buses run between Marina della Lobra and Massa Lubrense, but they are not frequent so check the timetable if you would prefer to ride back rather than walk.

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Swim and sunbathe at Marina del Cantone

The beach at Marina del Cantone

One of the best beaches in the area around Sorrento can be found at Marina del Cantone, just below Nerano near the tip of the Sorrentine peninsula.

Marina del Cantone looks out over the gulf of Salerno and is situated between the bay of Ieranto and Recommone. Its pebbly beach is ideal for sunbathing and you can hire sunbeds and ombrelloni (beach parasols).

The clear water of the sea in this part of the bay makes it perfect for swimming and snorkelling.

You can walk from Marina del Cantone along a panoramic path to the beach at Recommone, which takes about ten minutes. You will pass a 15th century watch tower built to look out for pirates and invaders - a regular hazard faced by local people at the time.

Down at Marina del Cantone you will be able to book boat trips to the other coves along the coast, to the three islands out in the bay known as Li Galli, or to visit the Grotta Azzurra (blue grotto) on the isle of Capri.

How to get to Marina del Cantone

Marina del Cantone

There are regular buses from Sorrento to Nerano out on the peninsula and some go all the way down to Marina del Cantone just below. The journey takes about an hour.
If you have to get off in Nerano it is an easy walk from the centre of the village down to Marina del Cantone.

If you arrive at Marina del Cantone by car you will find a parking area near the hotels, shops, bars and restaurants just above the beach.

Dine at the captain’s table

One of the most prestigious restaurants in the Sorrento area, Taverna del Capitano, is right next to the beach in Piazza delle Sirene at Marina del Cantone.

Taverna del Capitano

Run by the Caputo family for generations, the restaurant is in a converted fisherman’s cottage and offers an extensive menu featuring fresh fish, local produce and wine.

Above the restaurant the Locanda del Capitano has a number of guest rooms each with a private balcony overlooking the beach.

The rooms still have their original vaulted ceilings but are decorated with Vietri ceramics and have the modern comforts of air conditioning, minibar and satellite television.

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Sombre processions mark Good Friday in Sorrento

Model figures depicting the black procession
on display in a shop window

Two historic processions take place through the streets of Sorrento on Good Friday, which is known as Venerdi Santo in Italy.

A white procession is held in the early hours of the morning and a black procession is held in the evening to mark the sorrow of the church for the passion and death of Jesus.

The white procession represents Mary going out to search for her son. The black procession, in which a 16th century statue of the dead Christ is carried, represents Mary finding her crucified son.

The people taking part wear hoods that completely cover their faces with just eye holes for them to see through, and carry crosses and torches to light their way.

Thousands of onlookers line the route to watch the processions pass by, which are led by bands playing solemn music.

The processions are believed to date back as far as the 13th century when it was recorded that local friars went out on the night before Venerdi Santo dressed in sackcloth and bearing lighted torches to visit tombs in churches.

In the 16th century the procession began to take place on Venerdi Santo and involved the statue of the dead Christ being carried through the streets.

 

The picture shows a shop window on Corso Italia in Sorrento which has a detailed model of the Good Friday processions on display.

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Dine at Da Emilia and watch the waves roll in

Da Emilia sits literally at the water's edge

You are so close to the sea when you eat at Trattoria Da Emilia in Sorrento that the waves may occasionally splash your table.

But a sprinkling of sea water is all part of the fun when you visit this friendly, family run restaurant down on the beach at Marina Grande.

Da Emilia -- established 65 years ago in 1947 -- has an outside dining platform right at the water’s edge where you sit on wooden benches at tables covered with blue and white check table cloths.

Order a jug of the delicious house wine while you make your choice as it is very good value.

The menu is simple and, as you would expect, there is plenty of fresh fish on offer, as well as generous plates of antipasto, pasta and gnocchi.

Emilia herself, pictured on the
cover of the menu

One of the restaurant’s specialities is gnocchi alla mamma, cooked alla sorrentina (sorrentine style) with tomatoes, cheese and basil.

The mamma in this case is Emilia herself, the founder of the trattoria, who is pictured on the front of the menu.

The restaurant is now in the capable hands of Emilia’s daughters and granddaughters, who continue to provide fast, but friendly, service.

Trattoria Da Emilia in Via Marina Grande is closed on Tuesdays.

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Famous Faraglioni represent beauty of Capri

I Faraglioni glimpsed from Via Tragara

The huge pointed rocks that rise up from the sea just off the coast of Capri have become an instantly recognisable image of the island.

I Faraglioni symbolise the rugged beauty of Capri and have been extensively photographed.

The three rocks are off Porta di Tragara, a panoramic point not far from Marina Piccola, Capri's main port.

They were created by the erosion of the sea, which broke down walls of rock over the centuries.

The first one is il Faraglione di terra (known as la Stella), which is 109 metres high and is still joined to the island by a narrow strip of rock.

The middle one, il Faraglione di mezzo, is 80 metres high and the furthest one, il Faraglione di fuori (known as Scopolo) is 104 metres high.

Il Faraglione di mezzo has an archway in the middle that small boats can pass through.

The rocks can be admired from several points on the island but you can get close to them by walking down from the centre of the island along Via Tragara to Porto di Tragara.

Hotel with panoramic views over the rocks

If you would like a hotel with a good view of i Faraglioni, consider a stay at Hotel Punta Tragara.

Hotel Punta Tragara

The five star hotel, located at Via Tragara 57, has a series of terraces with wonderful views and you can enjoy lunch or dinner outside overlooking i Faraglioni.

Hotel Punta Tragara offers rooms and suites that are all different because of the choice of panoramic views their occupants can enjoy.

The hotel has a spa and swimming pool and the restaurant and pool bar serve lunch, dinner and bar snacks.

Check prices and availability with AlphaRooms


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Birth of famous Sorrento poet

Piazza Tasso

Torquato Tasso, who has come to be regarded as the greatest Italian poet of the Renaissance, was born 468 years ago today in Sorrento.
Although Tasso travelled all over Italy during his life, Sorrento’s main square has been named after him. Piazza Tasso is right at the hub of Sorrento , in the middle of the main shopping street, Corso Italia, and looking over Marina Piccola, Sorrento’s port.
Surrounded by bars and restaurants, the square has stops for the local buses and a taxi rank. It is also the resting place for the horses that pull carriages that can be hired for sightseeing.
Tasso’s most famous work was his epic poem Gerusalemme Liberata (Jerusalem Delivered) in which he gives an imaginative version of the battles between Christians and Muslims at the end of the first crusade during the siege of Jerusalem. His poetry was later to prove inspirational for other writers who followed him, in particular Spencer and Byron.
The house where Tasso was born on 11 March, 1544 is a few streets away from Piazza Tasso in Via Vittorio Veneto and now forms part of the Imperial Hotel Tramontano, where the beautiful song Torna a Surriento was composed by De Curtis on the terrace.
Tasso travelled about in Italy constantly during his 51 years but came back to Sorrento towards the end of his life to visit his beloved sister Cornelia, at a time when he was in deep trouble.
Because of its location in pretty gardens and overlooking the bay of Naples, it is not surprising that the Imperial Hotel Tramontano has provided inspiration for other famous writers who have stayed there.
It is believed Milton and Goethe once visited the historic building and, more recently, the hotel has accommodated American writers James Fennimore Cooper and Harriet Beecher Stowe.
The Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen is thought to have written Ghosts while enjoying a long stay at the Imperial Hotel Tramontano in the mid 19th century.

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The romance of the isle of Capri

The beautiful island of Capri

The glamorous island of Capri is within easy reach of Sorrento and makes a great day out, with hydrofoils and ferries leaving from the port at Marina Piccola at regular intervals.

The island lies just off the tip of the Sorrentine peninsula and the crossing takes about half an hour.

Capri has been immortalised in books, films and songs and has been the popular haunt of writers, artists and many famous personalities over the centuries.

But as well as a jet set image, Capri has stunning natural beauty and many historic villas and churches to see.

You can easily get a flavour of the island in a day, seeing some of the main sights, browsing in the designer boutiques and sampling Caprese specialities in one of the restaurants.

You can take some memorable photographs against the magical backdrop of i Faraglioni (the distinctive rocks out in the sea) before heading back to the port to return to Sorrento in time for dinner.

How to get to Capri

Either take the orange bus or walk down to Marina Piccola from Piazza Tasso in the centre of Sorrento .

You can check the times and buy tickets for either the ferry or aliscafo (hydrofoil) to Capri at the ticket office at Marina Piccola. There are also bars, restaurants and a shop down at the port.

The hydrofoils depart at regular intervals between 07.20 and 18.20 and there are also four ferries a day.

You will see colourful houses and lines of boats as your ferry or hydrofoil approaches Marina Grande, Capri ’s port.

Either relax with a drink at the port and soak up the atmosphere or go straight to the funicular to take you up to Capri ’s main square, Piazza Umberto I. You should only attempt to walk up if you are feeling energetic as it is a steep climb.

Piazza Umberto I

Busy Piazza Umberto

The ‘piazzetta’ is also sometimes referred to as Capri ’s drawing room as it is almost completely covered with cafe tables where people enjoy meeting up for drinks and conversation.

Once you have done enough people watching in the square, take a few minutes to look inside the 17th century Church of Santo Stefano, which has an original Roman floor, thought to have come from Villa Jovis. Then leave the piazzetta through one of the old archways to explore the twisting alleyways full of shops and restaurants.

Sample some Caprese specialities

On restaurant menus look out for Insalata Caprese (a salad made with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil) or Ravioli alla Caprese (ravioli filled with cheese in a tomato and basil sauce). You could follow this with pezzogna all’aqua pazza (freshly caught fish cooked in tomatoes, parsley, garlic and wine).

To accompany your meal, try a locally produced white wine, typically made from a pleasing mixture of Biancolella, Falanghina and Greco Bianco grapes. Then, round your lunch off with a glass of Limoncello (lemon liqueur) that has been produced on the island.

Capri sights not to miss

You could walk to the Villa Jovis, a retreat on the island built by the Roman Emperor Tiberius. Excavations have unearthed baths, apartments and an area known as Tiberius’s drop, from which his victims were supposedly thrown into the sea far below.

Or, you could take a bus to the second town on the island, Anacapri, to visit Villa San Michele, the beautiful home of Swedish physician Axel Munthe, from whose romantic gardens there are wonderful views of the Sorrentine peninsula across the water.

Come back to Sorrento

Return to the funicular station near Piazza Umberto to get back down to the port. The last ferry leaves Capri at 18.15 and the last hydrofoil leaves at 19.00.

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